Welcome to the Scrollsaw Workshop. You will find FREE scroll saw patterns, video demonstrations, scroll saw links, reviews, and much more. Sign up for the email newsletter so you won’t miss a single post. Thank you and remember to set a bookmark.

Have a Question?

About the Blog

WWGOA Blogger Award

Email Newsletter

Never miss a Pattern

Click Now!

Thanks for supporting me with a small donation. You do not need a PayPal account to donate.

This link allows you to choose a file from your hard drive and have it resized for free through the RapidResizer web page. It must be a file you have downloaded from my blog. It will not work with other patterns. Thanks to Patrick Roberts from RapidResizer.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

I generally focus most of my attention on the hobby side of scrolling. Selling handmade crafts can be very difficult. Making a living from hand made crafts even more so.

I receive a huge number of emails from scrollers looking to set up shop online. They want advice. I try to give advice from my experience and from my research. I do have enough experience and have done enough research to be at least a little helpful. Unfortunately even the most skilled craftsmen and women will tell you it's difficult and time consuming to be successful.

One frequent email I receive is about the online crafts market ETSY.com . Etsy is an online market place where makers of handmade items and buyer are put together. Craftsmen sign up for a store front and post pictures of their work hoping for sales. There is a 20 cents posting fee for each individual item and a 3.5% transaction fee. Each item is listed for four months and then it is either removed or you pay to have it listed again.

Buyers come to etsy and browse through different directories looking for items to purchase. When the buyer finds what they like they add it to their shopping cart. The buyer is given the option to pay with a credit card, Paypal account or money order. The seller receives the order and ships the merchandise. Seem like a match made in heaven, or is it?

Setting up an online presence takes patience and hard work. It's relatively easy to get your products online especially with sites like Etsy. The hard part is getting eyeballs to see your stuff. That's the good and bad news about sites like Etsy. They have thousands of eyeballs coming to the site every day but they also have thousands of listings for sale. It's easy to get lost in the masses.

If you do a little research about Etsy you will finds lots of people complaining about poor communications from the sites administrators. Sellers want more fraud protection. They want better search capabilities. The list goes on and on. You will also find sellers who are very pleased with Etsy. This diversity of opinion is common on sites like this. This has been and ongoing battle at Ebay for years.

There are no hard fast rules to make you successful selling products online. There are a few common sense things that are always important though.

Your product needs to have something that says buy me. Sometimes that something is the pure art of it. Sometimes it's novelty and sometimes it's value. Without sounding harsh it's hard to sell a poor product.

You can't post a product and set back and hope for sales. You might get a few bites here and there but you will usually just be lost in those masses I mentioned. You have to get the word out at every opportunity. Participate in online forums where people who might be interested in your product are. Make sure your online signature includes the link to your store. Every email you send out should have the link to your store at the bottom.

Make an artist video and post it on YouTube. You will be amazed how many people will find your store from the video. Make sure the key words you add when uploading the video are good solid search phrase.

Start a blog and present your work. Talk about yourself as an artist. Let the reader get to know you. Post often. Google will find your blog and the more you post the more people will come.

Update your Etsy store often. This keeps you at the top of the daily lists and keeps you visible. Unfortunately it also cost you more fees but sometime you have to spend money to make money. It's a trade off.

Patience, patience, patience. Most online sellers get discouraged quickly and give up. Be prepared to wait several months for sales to start coming in. It takes time to build a following. You need repeat customers and that does not happen quickly.

Only post your best work. One poor item can be a turn off to buyers. Make sure the photo represents your product well. It needs to be well lit. No clutter in the picture. Preferably a solid background. Everything in perfect focus.

I have said this before but I'll say it again. Find your niche. Don't just post a bunch of random items. Find a good mix of products that compliment each other. Sell something no one else is selling. Stand out in the masses. Be different. Be excellent.

To answer my original question "Is Etsy worth the effort?". A lot of that depends on the effort you put into it. It depends on the products you are trying to sell. Several years ago I was taking classical guitar lessons. Classical guitarist use a foot rest while playing. The ones you could buy were generally not very attractive. I started making wooden foot rests with scrolled patterns in the side. They took about an hour or less to make. I posted a few of them on ebay. They sold in the $50 range sometimes a little more. I stared getting requests from people that saw them on ebay wanting custom rests made. The postings on ebay led to the custom orders. I made a nice chunk of fun money from those foot rests. I was the only one selling an item like that on ebay at the time. I used good search words and when a classical guitarist saw them it was easy to make a sell. I had a niche.

I hope this gives a little insight into Etsy. I'm not recommending or discouraging anyone from joining Etsy. The success stories will always be outnumbered by the failures but that does not mean you can't be the success story.

The Scrollsaw Workshop is primarily supported by donations. If you enjoy this Blog and would like to make a donation please click this link. Your support is greatly appreciated.Make A Donation

This is the end of the daily posts. Keep scrolling for lot's more scrolls saw fun!

Amazon Affiliate Ad

Seyco

Seyco began business in 1986 with the goal to supply the best customer support and quality products in the scroll saw industry. I have worked with Seyco on many occasions and I can tell you they are simply the best. Please do yourself a favor and click the image above. Steve Good

Wooden Vases on the Scroll Saw Book $12 Each

Each digital book is available for download immediately after payment.

The books are $12 per edition and contains eight unique patterns each.
Watch the following video to see how easy these beautiful scroll saw vases
are to make.

Bear Woods has been around since 1987 serving our hobby. They offer a wide range of craft products including Pegas scroll saw blades, clock inserts, toy parts, workshop supplies and much more. In my ten years of writing the Scrollsaw Workshop blog I have never received a complaint about Bear Woods. I get thousands of email a month so that's saying something about their customer service and quality products. Please support the people who support our hobby. Click now and visit Bear Woods.

This DVD contains all the patterns from the Scrollsaw Workshop blog from May 12, 2007 to December 2, 2012. There are 1113 pattern books many with multiple patterns. These are the patterns that are available in the free online catalog. This DVD is for those who wish to have all the patterns and don't wish to try and download hundreds of patterns.
Use the DVD for club meetings, sharing with friends and customers, Archiving etc.

No returns are accepted. No refunds. Defective DVDs will be replaced.
Please watch the instruction videos to understand what you will receive.

PC Instructions Video:

MAC Instructions VIDEO:

Create a Family Heirloom. Download The Jigsaw Puzzle Template Book. Only $7.00

Create one of a kind jig saw puzzles. Imagine how thrilled they will be when you create a hand cut wooden jigsaw puzzle of their photograph. Wedding and anniversary photos, birthday or special occasion.

Watch this video demonstration to see of the templates being used to create a wedding puzzle.

-

-

You will be directed to the download page after your purchase for instant download.

This pattern book contains the following size patterns

5x5 25 piece

4x6 24 piece

5x7 35 piece

8x10 80 piece

4x6 96 piece

5x7 140 piece

8x10 320
piece

Important: On the successful payment page click the Return to Merchant button to be directed to the download page.
This pattern book contains only the puzzle patterns. No pictures are included. The book is in Adobe pdf format and requires Adobe Reader to view. This is a download only. If you wish to pay by check please include an email address and I will send the file to you. I can not mail a disk or print of the book.

Order the $3 pdf Catalog

This is a PDF of all the patterns in my free catalog. It is for Windows only and has a program to automatically download the pattern to your computer. Please watch the video below before you order.
Click the picture to order.

You do not need a PayPal account to order. At the bottom of the PayPal page is a button that will allow you to pay with a credit card. After successful payment click the Return to Merchant button for the download.

Stencil Printer 1.7

Stencil Printer Instruction Video.

The Scrollsaw Workshop Stencil Printer 1.7 is my latest software for creating patterns. It will create key chain fobs, desk name plates and more. Click the image above to download the latest version. It is free to use donationware. This software is for Windows PC only.

Scroll Saw Pattern Printer update 1.1

Scroll Saw Keychain Pattern Maker

Use the Scroll Saw Keychain Maker to start a small keychain business. Build yourself a nice display and make up severl keychains with common names. Sell at craft shows, on Ebay or at work. Everyone needs a keychain. Take custom orders. Heck just make them and give them away as gifts. It's all made easy with the Scroll Saw Keychain Maker.
Watch the video demonstration then download the file below and get started with the fun.

The following link will start the download process. After the file download is complete just click the setup file and the program will be installed.

Download the Oval Keychain Pattern Maker.

Enjoy designing and printing these great personalized key chains. Give them as gifts, make them for fun or sell them at craft shows. It's easy, just watch the video demo then download and install the program. You will be designing these fun projects in minutes. Windows PC only.

T-Shirts and More.

Show your love for the hobby and support the Scrollsaw Workshop. Safe and secure order fullfilled by CafePress. Take a look. You are sure to find something you like. CLICK THE IMAGE to visit the store.

The Lifter

Papa's Custom Patterns.

Sheila Landry Designs

Sue Mey Scroll saw artist

Make sure you visit my good friend Sue. She is one of the finest scroll saw pattern designers in the world today. .

Philip Lowndes Noah's Arc Pattern Available. Watch the video below.

This video is from Philip Lowndes. He is the designer of this beautiful Noah's Arc puzzle pattern. If you would like the pattern follow the link below.

Think Safety

Remember to keep the safety of yourself and others in your work shop in your thoughts at all times. Always wear eye and ear protection. Follow all the manufactures warnings that came with your power tools. If I demonstrate something on this web site that you don't feel is safe, don't do it. Your safety is your responsibility. Fingers are handy things, try to keep all of them.__________________________

Disclaimer:The Scrollsaw Workshop Blog is in no way affiliated with or sponsored by Scroll Saw Woodworking and Crafts Magazine formerly (Scroll Saw Workshop Magazine) or it's publisher Fox Chapel Publishing.